Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Jason Brickman, LIU Brooklyn
5-10, 165lbs
So., G, San Antonio, TX/Clark
Sophomore Jason Brickman gave the phrase “lending a hand” a whole new meaning as the first-place LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds continued to remain red hot last weekend, defeating Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac at home to earn him this week’s Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week honor. The 5-10 point guard averaged 12.5 assists per game highlighted by a career-high 16-assist outing in his team’s 99-89 victory over the Bobcats on Saturday that moved the Blackbirds within one win of clinching the top seed in the NEC Tournament. It marked the fourth-most assists in a game in Northeast Conference history and it tied the most assists in a game in NCAA Division I basketball this season. He also added 10 points to record his third double-double of the season. Two days prior, the San Antonio, TX product put on a nine-point, nine-assist effort as LIU Brooklyn posted a 101-93 win in overtime over the visiting Pioneers. He finished the week with 25 assists and just five turnovers in 73 minutes of action. Thanks to his two-game performance, Brickman moved to fifth in the nation with an average of 7.0 assists per game and continued to have a stranglehold on the top spot in the NEC, leading the next closest player by more than two helpers.
Choice Hotels/NEC Co-Rookie of the Week
Kyle Vinales, Central Connecticut
6-0, 185lbs
Fr., G, Detroit, MI/Phelps School
Central Connecticut’s Kyle Vinales had another big weekend for the Blue Devils, averaging 21.5 points per game to earn a share of his seventh Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week honor. Despite going 1-1 on the week, Vinales shined in CCSU’s setback, a 68-60 loss at Robert Morris, where he led all scorers with 32 points, 29 of which came in the second half, including 16 in the final four minutes as the Blue Devils whittled an 18-point deficit down to five. Additionally, the 6-0 guard racked up 24 of his total points via the 3-ball, connecting on a career high eight shots to mark the most long-range shots by a CCSU player since former Blue Devil Tristan Blackwood hit 10 against the Colonials back in 2007. The eight trifectas also matched the 2011-12 NEC single-game season-high in the category. Earlier on Thursday, Vinales scored 11 points and dished out three assists in a 65-60 win over Saint Francis (PA), clinching CCSU a spot in the 2012 NEC Playoffs. The league’s second-ranked scorer at 18.1 points per game, he places third in 3-point field goals made (2.54) and fifth in minutes played (34.69). The Detroit native's seven weekly honors is one off the league record shared by Saint Francis (PA)'s Darshan Luckey, Rider's Charles Smith and Monmouth's Alex Blackwell.
Choice Hotels/NEC Co-Rookie of the Week
Dion Nesmith, Monmouth
6-0, 200lbs
Jr., G, Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)
Monmouth’s Dion Nesmith continues to be a nice addition to King Rice’s arsenal on the hardwood. The former collegiate quarterback from Northeastern averaged 16.5 points in a 1-1 week to earn a share of the Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week award and help his Hawks qualify for the 2012 playoffs. In a 74-64 setback at Wagner last Thursday, Nesmith scored 13 points and pulled down five boards, four of which came on the defensive side of the ball. He then lit up the scoreboard on Saturday with 20 in a playoff-clinching win over Mount St. Mary’s, 68-66, marking MU’s first win at Knott Arena in five years. In that win, he shot 7-for-10 from the field and 6-for-7 from long range in addition to handing out three assists and committing just one turnover. Nesmith ranks second on the Hawks in scoring at 8.7 ppg and made three-pointers (36). In league play, he leads the NEC in three-point accuracy, hitting at a 53.8 percent clip.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
NEC Playoff Race Enters Final Week
In a departure from recent years, many of the pieces are already in place for the NEC Tournament entering the final week of regular season play.
We already know seven of the eight teams in the playoff field, and the four teams hosting quarterfinal games have been determined.
The regular season championship is up for grabs, however, and there are still opportunities to move up or down the seed line, especially in the lower half of the bracket. There are loads of scenarios that can play out over the next week, so be sure to check the NEC website for tiebreaker updates.
Regular Season Title Chase
It’s down to a two-team competition with LIU and Wagner battling for the NEC regular season crown and top seed in the NEC Tournament.
At 15-1, defending champion LIU’s magic number is one to clinch the #1 seed for the second year in a row.
Even if LIU and Wagner finish tied for the top spot, the tiebreaker would go to the Blackbirds based on their head-to-head sweep of the Seahawks.
The two teams are guaranteed a top-two seed and will host semifinal round playoff games should they emerge victorious in the quarterfinals.
Both programs are red-hot at the right time as well.
Wagner has won eight straight and LIU seven in a row.
Likewise, they have each won 16 of their last 17 games.
Making March Plans
Quinnipiac, Central Connecticut and Monmouth last week joined LIU Brooklyn, Wagner, St. Francis (NY) and Robert Morris as NEC playoff participants.
CCSU qualified for the postseason for the 14
th consecutive season, the longest current streak in the conference.
Quinnipiac has now reached the postseason seven straight years, while Monmouth is back in the playoffs following a one-year absence.
For the earlier qualifiers, it marks the ninth straight tourney appearance for Robert Morris, fifth in a row for LIU and second straight for both St. Francis (NY) and Wagner.
Top-Four Seed (Non) Drama
Unlike conferences that contest their postseason tournament at a neutral site, the NEC format of playing all games at the higher seed adds a sense of drama as the regular season winds down with teams fighting to finish in the top-four and earn quarterfinal and possibly semifinal round home games.
But by the end of play last week, LIU (15-1), Wagner (14-2), St. Francis (NY) (12-4) and Robert Morris (12-4) were all assured of hosting first round tilts.
LIU and Wagner can finish no lower than #2, while St. Francis and Robert Morris will occupy either the #3 or #4 slots.
The Terriers own the tiebreaker over the Colonials should they finish deadlocked.
Robert Morris has won five straight and St. Francis (NY) is 11-3 in its last 14 games.
Middle of the Pack Hi-Lo Game
Things are still murky in the middle of standings with plenty of room for movement.
Quinnipiac, CCSU, Monmouth and Sacred Heart – should the Pioneers qualify – could all go into the tournament as high as the #5 seed, but as low as the #8 seed.
Fighting For Survival
With one week to play, only Fairleigh Dickinson has been eliminated from playoff contention as three teams are engaged in a duel for the final chances at playing postseason ball in March.
Sacred Heart is in the driver’s seat for the final NEC playoff berth, and can clinch with a win over Robert Morris or Saint Francis (PA) this week.
The Pioneers can also qualify with Mount St. Mary’s and Saint Francis (PA) both losing one of their final two games.
Mount St. Mary’s can get in by winning its final two games combined with Sacred Heart losing twice this week.
Saint Francis (PA) has a difficult path to the postseason, needing a pair of wins, coupled with two Sacred Heart setbacks and a Mount loss, and for Monmouth to finish ahead of CCSU in the standings.
Bryant is ineligible for NEC Tournament play until the 2012-13 season when it completes the five-year NCAA Division I reclassification period.
Three 20-Win Teams Put NEC In Elite Company
The 2011-12 season will go down as a landmark campaign for the Northeast Conference.
For just the second time in its history, the NEC sports three teams with 20+ wins on the season.
Wagner leads the way with 23 victories, followed by LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris with 21 apiece.
The NEC is one of just eight
conferences nationwide with three 20-win programs, joining the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, CAA, Mountain West and WCC.
In 1995-96, Marist (22-7), Mount St. Mary’s (21-8) and Monmouth (20-10) all reached the 20-win plateau and went on to compete in the postseason.
The Hawks won the NEC championship that year, while the Mount and Red Foxes earned NIT bids.
Seahawks On Record Hunt
There is still a long way to go, but if Wagner wins its final two regular season games and goes on to win the NEC Tournament, it would establish a new conference record single-season mark with 28 victories.
Defending NEC champion LIU Brooklyn won 27 games a year ago and CCSU won 27 games in its 2001-02 championship season. Wagner is now 23-4, with the 23 victories matching the school single-season mark originally established in 2007-08.
The Seahawks have won eight straight for the second time this season, the program’s two longest streaks since winning 16 in a row during the 1978-79 season.
Blackbirds Chase NEC Record
If LIU Brooklyn wins at least one of its final two NEC regular season games, the Blackbirds will establish a new NEC record for conference winning percentage over a two-year period.
LIU is now an astounding 31-3 over the last two seasons in league play, a 91.2 percent success rate.
Marist, which won 28 out of 32 NEC games from 1986-88, has held the two-year standard the last 24 years.
Should LIU sweep FDU and Monmouth this week, its 17-1 NEC record will stand behind only CCSU’s 19-1 ledger in 2001-02 for the best single-season mark in conference annals.
In addition, LIU has now posted back-to-back 20-win seasons four times, the last coming from 1996-98.
Best Two-Year NEC Records
1. LIU Brooklyn 31-3 .912 2010-12
2. Marist 28-4 .875 1986-88
3. Robert Morris 31-5 .861 2007-09
4. LIU Brooklyn 29-5 .853 1996-98
5. Robert Morris 30-6 .833 2008-10
6. Central Connecticut 31-7 .816 2001-03
7. Marist 26-6 .813 1985-87
8. Mount St. Mary’s 28-8 .778 1994-96
Quinnipiac 28-8 .778 2009-11
Rider 28-8 .778 1992-94
NEC-TV Closes Out Regular Season, Including National Game on ESPNU
The regular season wraps up with a five-game NEC-TV slate this week.
On Thursday, Mount St. Mary’s visits Central Connecticut in a 7:00 pm tip on MSG and Cox Sports (CT/RI), with a delayed airing on MASN at 9:00 pm.
The NEC goes national on Saturday as Quinnipiac and Robert Morris renew their rivalry on ESPNU at 11:00 am and will be followed by the Bobcat and Colonial women squaring off at 1:30 pm on ESPN3.
That same day, Saint Francis (PA) visits Sacred Heart in another televised doubleheader.
The men tip off at noon on MSG+ and Fox 8-WWCP (Johnstown/Altoona), followed by the women at 3:00 pm on FCS, ESPN3 and Fox 8-WWCP.
Root Sports Pittsburgh will broadcast both games on delay on February 29 at 6:00 pm (women) and 8:00 pm (men).
Come the postseason, MSG will air both NEC men’s semifinal playoff games on March 4th at 12 and 6:00 pm. Additional regional networks may also broadcast the semifinals pending the matchups.
As part of the network’s Championship Week coverage, the NEC men’s title game runs live on ESPN2 for the 25th straight year on Wednesday, March 7th at 7:00 pm.
For the fifth year running, ESPNU is set to air the NEC Women’s Championship game on Sunday, March 11th at 3:00 pm.
NEC-TV Announcing Assignments:
Feb. 23 - Mount St. Mary's at CCSU - Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Tim Capstraw (color), John Schmeelk (sideline)
Feb. 25 - Robert Morris at Quinnipiac (m) - Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), Ron Thompson (analyst)
Feb. 25 - Robert Morris at Quinnipiac (w) - John Sadak (play-by-play), Julianne Viani (color)
Feb. 25 - Saint Francis (PA) at Sacred Heart (m) - Dave Popkin (play-by-play), Tim Capstraw (color), Paul Dottino (sideline)
Feb. 25 - Saint Francis (PA) at Sacred Heart (w) - Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Phyllis Mangina (color), John Schmeelk (sideline)
Take That! St. Francis (NY), Monmouth Defy Preseason Expectations
As the NEC regular season winds down, it seems like a good time to compare where programs stand now compared to the predicted order of finish by NEC coaches back in early November. The biggest surprise is in Brooklyn Heights where St. Francis (NY) was tabbed 11th in the preseason poll, but now sits in a third place tie with a 12-4 record. The 12 victories are the most for the program since winning 12 in the 2003-04 season. The Terriers lost a pair of NEC all-stars to graduation in Ricky Cadell and Akeem Bennett, and had starting point guard Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY/Abraham Lincoln (CO)) go down with a season-ending injury in November, but regrouped under second-year head coach Glenn Braica and have reeled off 11 wins in their last 14 games to secure a home game in the NEC quarterfinals. On Saturday, St. Francis (NY) won a thriller at the Pope Center when junior forward Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance) scored on a putback with 1.6 seconds remaining to beat Sacred Heart, 58-56.
Monmouth and first head year coach King Rice have also exceeded expectations as the Hawks are tied for fifth place after being predicted to finish 10th. With an 8-8 league mark, the Hawks could wrap the regular season with their first winning record since 2005-06. That season, Monmouth ended the regular season 12-6 and went on to win its third NEC title in six years. The Blue & White have come on strong during the second half of the conference season, winning six of their last eight contests, including four of their last five on the road. Rice has led the team to 10 overall wins, the second-most by a first-year head coach at Monmouth behind Wayne Szoke’s 16 in 1987-88.
Team Predicted Finish Current Place +/-
Bryant 7th 11th-tie -4
CCSU 3rd 5th-tie -2
Fairleigh Dickinson 12th 11th-tie +1
LIU Brooklyn 1st 1st --
Monmouth 10th 5th-tie +5
Mount St. Mary's 6th 9th-tie -3
Quinnipiac 5th 5th-tie --
Robert Morris 2nd 3rd-tie -1
Sacred Heart 8th 8th --
St. Francis (NY) 11th 3rd-tie +8
Saint Francis (PA) 9th 9th-tie --
Wagner 4th 2nd +2
Wagner's Chris Martin Joins NEC 1,000-Point Club
Wagner senior guard
Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township (Apex Academies)) scored all 13 of his points in the second half of a win over FDU on Saturday, and the final two on a layup with 2:16 to play gave him an even 1,000 for his career.
He is the 39th player in Wagner history to reach the milestone.
There are now 179 players in NEC history who have reached the 1,000-point plateau since the league began sponsoring basketball in 1981. CCSU senior forward
Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) is the leading active scorer with 1,880 points. Quinnipiac senior guard
James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is next with 1,643 and CCSU senior guard
Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) has accumulated 1,488 points.
This year, Sacred Heart junior guard
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) (1,391), Wagner senior guard
Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) (1,179), LIU junior forward
Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) (1,193), LIU junior forward
Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) (1,160), St. Francis (NY) senior forward
Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) (1,144) and Robert Morris junior guard
Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) (1,135) have also made it to 1,000 points.
The next line of players closing in on 1,000 this season include Bryant sophomore forward
Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) (911) and Monmouth senior forward
Mike Myers Keitt (Waterbury, CT/Fairfield Prep (Marianapolis Prep)) (891).
March Madness In Brooklyn Heights
St. Francis (NY) will host its first NEC playoff game at the Pope Center in 15 years this March. The last time the Terriers hosted, they beat Robert Morris, 62-59, in an NEC Tournament outbracket game on February 25, 1997.
Record Stretch for Robert Morris
Reaching the 20-win mark is college hoops is an impressive feat in and of itself. Doing it year-in and year-out is the sign of a successful program, especially at the mid-major level. What Robert Morris has accomplished in recent years is not only worthy of high praise, but also historical in nature in the NEC. When the Colonials cracked the 20-win plateau last Thursday, they became the first program in NEC history to post four 20-win campaigns in a five-year span. In that time, RMU has won 112 games, the most wins by an NEC program over a five-year stretch. It also marked the seventh 20-win campaign in school history.
Robert Morris Records (2007-12)
2007-08 26-8
2008-09 24-11
2009-10 23-12
2010-11 18-14
2011-12 21-8
Total 112-53 (.679)
More RMU: A Decade Of Dominance
Robert Morris has won two NEC Tournament championships over in the last three years, and is contending for a title again in 2011-12. The success that the Colonials had under Mike Rice and has continued under the watchful eye of Andrew Toole caps off a 10-year run in which RMU has been the most dominant team in the conference in terms of NEC regular season success. Over the last ten years (since the start of the 2002 season), the Colonials have won 117 league games (against just 61 defeats), followed by Central Connecticut with 104 victories. Robert Morris has registered seven 10-win seasons over the ten-year span, the most in the conference.
10-Year Study: Records In NEC Play
CCSU 104-74
FDU 80-98
LIU 97-81
MU 89-89
MSM 88-90
QU 96-82
RMU 117-61
SHU 82-96
SFNY 85-93
SFPA 65-113
WC 97-81
LIU’s Boyd, SHU’s Gibson Nominated for Mid-Major Player of the Year Award
LIU Brooklyn forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) and Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) are in the midst of a tremendous junior campaigns and as a result, have been selected as a finalist for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. They are two of the 25 candidates on the ballot for the prestigious honor presented by College Insider. This season, one-third of the voting for the Lou Henson Award will be decided by fans online (voteLouHenson.com). A College Insider Selection Committee will make up the remaining two-thirds. The winner of the award will be announced on March 30 in New Orleans, the site of the NCAA Final Four. Boyd currently ranks second in the NEC in rebounding (9.3 rpg), third in double-doubles (seven), fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.538). The league’s leading point producer (22.2 ppg) and three-point shooter (2.8/game), Gibson also ranks fourth in the nation in scoring.
More Hardware for CCSU's Phenom Kyle Vinales
With his seventh Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week award this season, Central Connecticut freshman guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) has placed himself in elite company, pulling within one honor of tying the all-time conference record. Saint Francis (AP)’s Darshan Luckey (2002-03), Rider’s Charles Smith (1993-94) and Monmouth’s Alex Blackwell (1989-90) each won the award eight times as freshman and all three went on to win NEC Rookie of the Year honors. Vinales averaged 21.5 points and hit 9-17 from three-point range last week, including a career-high eight trifectas in a 32-point performance at Robert Morris on Saturday. It matched the NEC single-game season-high and was the most three-pointers in a game for a Blue Devil since Tristan Blackwood hit 10 in a 88-86 win over Robert Morris on February 22, 2007.
Vinales scored 29 of his 32 points in the second half, including 16 in the final four minutes as CCSU nearly came back from an 18-point deficit.
The nation's leading freshman scorer paces the Blue Devils and ranks second in the NEC with 18.1 ppg.
LIU’s Free Throw Frenzy
LIU Brooklyn ranks first in the nation in free throws made (20.7 per game) and second in trips to the foul line (28.2 per game). The Blackbirds have made 579 free throws, 155 more than their opponents have attempted (424).
Chairman of the Boards: Jalen Cannon’s Big Night
St. Francis (NY) freshman forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) had already established himself as one of the NEC’s top rookies before stepping foot onto the court at Quinnipiac’s TD Bank Sports Center last Thursday. By the time the Terriers had wrapped up a 64-56 win that clinched a top-four NEC tourney seed for the program, Cannon had etched his name in the NEC recordbook. The Allentown, PA native scored 13 points, but more importantly, pulled down a career and NEC single-game season-high 19 rebounds. In fact, the 19 boards were the most by an NEC player since Wagner’s Durell Vinson snared 20 against FDU on January 27, 2008. It also marked the most rebounds by an NEC freshman in over 11 years. You’d have to go back all the way to February 5, 2001 when CCSU great Ron Robinson – the NEC’s second all-time career rebounder - grabbed 21 versus Mount St. Mary’s in his first season in New Britain. On the national scene, the 19 rebounds are the second-most by a freshman in the country this season (Tony Mitchell, North Texas, 21) and tied for the 20th best total overall.
On the year, Cannon leads all NEC freshman and ranks fourth overall with 8.1 rpg.
Sweet 16 for LIU Brooklyn’s Jason Brickman
On a night in which LIU Brooklyn won its seventh straight game, it was the smallest player on the court who made the biggest impact. Sophomore guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark), the Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week, dished out a career and NEC single-game season-high 16 assists as the Blackbirds pulled away in the second half for a 99-89 win over Quinnipiac. The 16 helpers were the most by an NEC player since former LIU great Antawn Dobie dished for a school record 17 against St. Francis (NY) on December 15, 2002, and tied for fourth on the league’s all-time single-game list. Likewise, Brickman’s 16 assists matched the NCAA single-game high this season. It was the San Antonio, TX native’s third double-double of the year and improved his league-leading assist average to 7.0 per game (fifth in Division I).
Mount’s Matt Henry Wins Coaching Debut
Last Wednesday, Mount St. Mary’s assistant
Matt Henry was named acting head coach after Robert Burke was placed on administrative leave.
One day later, the 33-year old became the first Mount head coach to win his coaching debut since 1954.
Jim Phelan, who went on to win 830 games in 49 seasons at the Mount, posted a 99-84 win over St. Francis (NY) in his coaching debut on December 4, 1954.
Milan Brown and Burke each lost their debuts on the Mount bench.
Stat Primer: Rebound Rate
Rebound rate is highlighted in this week’s obscure stat comparison. Rebound rate is the percentage of missed shots that are rebounded successfully.
Formula
Team OReb% = TmOReb / (TmOReb + OppDReb)
Team DReb% = TmDReb / (TmDReb + OppOReb)
Team Reb% = (Team OReb% + Team DReb%) / 2
As expected, Quinnipiac is the NEC leader in the category at 58.8 percent, a figure that ranks the Bobcats second nationally. The Bobcats also rank second in the nation in rebound margin at +10.5 per game. Robert Morris (55.8 percent, 17th nationally), along with St. Francis (NY) (51.7 percent) and Wagner (51.7 percent) are also above the national average of 51.0 percent in the category.
For individual players with at least 5.0 rpg, the leader is Quinnipiac freshman forward
Ousmane Drame (Boston, MA/New Mission (Marianpolis Prep)) at 22.6 percent, just ahead of St. Francis (NY) freshman forward
Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen).
NEC Leaders - Rebound Rate
1. Ousmane Drame (QU) 22.6
2. Jalen Cannon (SFNY) 22.4
3. Julian Boyd (LIU) 21.0
4. Scott Eatherton (SFPA) 18.2
5. Ike Azotam (QU) 17.9
Kings Of New York
Wagner sports the best record among the 23 New York Metropolitan area Division I teams this season. At 23-4, the Seahawks are ahead of Iona (22-6) and fellow NEC member LIU Brooklyn (21-7). Yale (17-7), Stony Brook (18-8), Seton Hall (18-9) and Manhattan (19-10) are also in the mix.
Shane Gibson's Season In Perspective
Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson's (Killingly, CT/Killingly) scoring exploits have been well chronicled this season. He has been on such a tear of late, it made us wonder where he stands in relation to other NEC high scorers in recent years. Gibson's 643 points is the most in a single-season by an NEC player since Wagner's Jermaine Hall finished with 686 in leading the Seahawks to the NEC title in 2002-03. With two games remaining in the regular season and any NEC Tournament games, Gibson also has a chance to break into the all-time top-10 in the category, which features a Who's Who of NEC all-time greats, including NEC Hall of Famers Terrance Bailey and Rik Smits, along with two-time NEC scoring champion Charles Jones of LIU. He currently ranks 19th, just 42 points out of the tenth spot held by Marist's Izett Buchanan (685 in 1993-94).
NEC All-Time Single-Season Scoring
1. Charles Jones (LIU) 903* 1996-97
2. Charles Jones (LIU) 869* 1997-98
3. Terrance Bailey (WC) 854* 1985-86
4. Terrance Bailey (WC) 788 1986-87
5. Mike Iuzzolino (SFPA) 772 1990-91
6. Desi Wilson (FDU) 738 1990-91
7. Joe Griffin (LIU) 723 1994-95
8. Desi Wilson (FDU) 695 1989-90
9. Jermaine Hall (WC) 686 2002-03
10. Izett Buchanan (MAR) 685 1993-94
11. Joe Anderson (SFPA) 680 1990-91
Ray Minlend (SFNY) 680 1998-99
13. Rik Smits (MAR) 668 1987-88
14. Mike Morrison (LOY) 666 1987-88
15. Darrick Suber (RID) 665 1992-93
16. Alex Blackwell (MU) 663 1990-91
17. Marcus Gaither (FDU) 657 1982-83
18. Chris McGuthrie (MSM) 647 1995-96
19. Shane Gibson (SHU) 643 2011-12
Lamont Harris (SFPA) 643 1985-86
* Led nation in scoring
Long Range Plans: Drafton Davis, Meet LIU Brooklyn's Jason Brickman
Many longtime NEC fans who go back to the league's early days will tell you that former Marist player Drafton Davis (1984-88) was one of the best point guards in league history. Davis, who was named the NEC (then ECAC Metro) Tournament MVP in 1987 after leading the Red Foxes to their second straight conference championship, still holds the title of NEC assist king some 24 years after he graduated in 1988. Not only does he rank first in the category with 804 career helpers, but his career total is 201 assists more than any other player. The second-ranked distributor in NEC history is the Mount's Jeremy Goode, who had 603 from 2006-10.
But Davis may have a challenger on the horizon in LIU Brooklyn sophomore guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark). In less than two seasons, Brickman has racked up 376 assists, and by year's end could crack the 400 mark, which would get him halfway to the record. As a freshman, the San Antonio native led the NEC with 5.8 apg despite coming off of the bench and averaging under 23 minutes per outing. Now firmly entrenched in the starting lineup, Brickman leads the league and ranks fifth nationally with 7.0 apg. He has compiled six games this season with 10+ assists and with 196 on the year, is eight away from cracking the top-10 on the NEC single-season chart.
Tracking SHU’s Shane Gibson
Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) averaged 22.5 points in two games last week to remain atop of the NEC pecking order and fourth in the nation in scoring with 22.2 ppg. Gibson has dwarfed those numbers in NEC play, averaging 25.5 ppg. He has scored 20 or more points in 14-of-16 league games and an NEC-best 20 times overall this season. The 18 games of 20+ points is the most by an NEC player since Quinnipiac’s DeMario Anderson had 20 in 2007-08. Gibson also leads the conference with four 30+ point outings.
How does Gibson’s point production in conference play compare to recent NEC high scorers? Gibson currently maintains the highest single-season average since 1998-99 when Ray Minlend netted 25.5 ppg against NEC rivals.
Top Scoring Averages in NEC Play (1998-12)
1. Shane Gibson (SHU) 25.5 2011-12
Ray Minlend (SFNY) 25.9 1998-99
3. Rob Monroe (QU) 23.9 2004-05
4. Darshan Luckey (SFPA) 23.4 2004-05
5. DeMario Anderson (QU) 23.3 2007-08
6. Darshan Luckey (SPFA) 23.1 2002-03
7. Antawn Dobie (LIU) 22.2 2001-02
8. Manny Ubilla (FDU) 21.9 2007-08
9. Jermaine Hall (WC) 21.6 2001-02
10. Ken Horton (CCSU) 21.4 2010-11
Here is a look at Gibson's NEC games this season:
Date Opponent Points 3PFG
Feb. 18 St. Francis (NY) 21 3-8
Feb. 16 LIU Brooklyn 24 4-9
Feb. 11 Bryant 34 3-7
Feb. 8 Bryant 30 5-9
Feb. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson 16 2-5
Feb. 2 Monmouth 22 3-6
Jan. 28 Mount St. Mary’s 41 6-13
Jan. 26 Wagner 20 1-7
Jan. 21 CCSU 26 2-5
Jan. 19 Quinnipiac 23 2-4
Jan. 14 Robert Morris 29 7-11
Jan. 12 Saint Francis (PA) 26 3-4
Jan. 7 St. Francis (NY) 15 1-8
Jan. 5 LIU Brooklyn 28 6-9
Dec. 3 CCSU 32 3-7
Dec. 1 Quinnipiac 21 3-5
25.5 ppg 54-117 (.462)
If I Can Make It There…
Let’s hear it for New York. The NEC’s three New York City based teams are tearing it up in league play this season with a combined 41-7 record against conference opposition. With six of those of those seven setbacks coming in head-to-head matchups among the three schools, an even more remarkable stat emerges:
St. Francis (NY) (12-0), Wagner (12-0) and LIU (11-1) are a combined 35-1 against the other eight teams in the NEC.
In no other season since the NEC was founded in 1981 have the three NYC schools approached this level of success within the conference.
Best Combined NEC Records – LIU, SFNY and WC (1981-present)
Year Combined Record LIU Brooklyn St. Francis (NY) Wagner
2011-12 41-7 (.854) 15-1 12-4 14-2
2000-01 39-21 (.650) 12-8 16-4 11-9
1997-98 31-17 (.646) 14-2 10-6 7-9
2002-03 30-24 (.556) 7-11 9-9 14-4
2001-02 33-27 (.550) 5-15 13-7 15-5
1998-99 33-27 (.550) 10-10 16-4 7-13
2004-05 29-25 (.537) 10-8 9-9 10-8
1996-97 29-25 (.537) 15-3 7-11 7-11
Brooklyn’s Finest
LIU Brooklyn continued its winning ways at home last week, first escaping with a 103-91 overtime win over Sacred Heart on Thursday, before defeating Quinnipiac, 99-89 on Saturday. The Blackbirds seemed to have found the magic formula for winning in the WRAC, with 24 straight home victories entering play this week. The streak remains the third-longest in the nation behind Kentucky and Harvard. LIU was last tripped up at the WRAC on December 8, 2010 in an 88-82 setback to Iona.
Nation's Longest Home Win Streaks
1. Kentucky 50
2. Harvard 27
3. LIU Brooklyn 24
The Road to Success
Winning on the road is not an easy task, but over the last two years, a trio of NEC programs have excelled in that regard. In 2010-11, LIU Brooklyn led the nation with 13 road wins en-route to a 27-6 record. This season, it is Wagner and Robert Morris that have found the magic formula away from home.
Wagner has won eight straight on the road, and its 11 road triumphs is tied with Cleveland State and Iona for the most in the nation this season. Likewise, the Seahawks’ .846 road win percentage ranks sixth in Division I.
Robert Morris is now 10-5 on the year away from the Sewall Center. The ten road wins are tied for fourth in Division I.
CCSU’s Ken Horton Up to Eighth on NEC Career Scoring Chart
Central Connecticut State senior forward
Ken Horton’s (Ossining, NY/Ossining) moved into eighth place on the NEC’s career scoring list last week, passing former rival Jeremy Chappell of Robert Morris.
The 2010-11 NEC Player of the Year, Horton has now racked up 1,880 points in his decorated career.
The Ossining, NY native will next set his sights on former FDU great Desi Wilson, who amassed 1,902 points from 1988-91.
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
1. Terrance Bailey WAG 2,591 1983-87
2. Joe Anderson SFPA 2,301 1987-91
3. Chris McGuthrie MSM 2,297 1993-96
4. Jermaine Hall WAG 2,278 1999-03
5. Myron Walker RMC 1,965 1990-94
6. Rik Smits MAR 1,945 1984-88
7. Desi Wilson FDU 1,902 1988-91
8. Ken Horton CCSU 1,880 2007-11
9. Jeremy Chappell RMU 1,875 2005-09
10. Joe Griffin LIU 1,830 1991-95
Not just a scorer, Horton has upped his career rebound total to 813, which ranks 15
th in NEC history.
He is one of two players (along with NEC Hall of Famer Rik Smits) in league history with 1,800 points and 800 rebounds over the course of his career.
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
10. Durell Vinson WC 893 2003-08
11. Alan Tomidy MAR 838 1991-96
12. Freddie Burton LIU 836 1986-89
13. Nigel Wyatte WC 834 2000-04
14. Largest Agbejemisin WAG 829 1983-87
15. Ken Horton CCSU 813 2007-11
16. Rik Smits MAR 811 1984-88
Terrier Sharpshooter Stefan Perunicic Continues Rise Up NEC Career Three-Point List
St. Francis (NY) senior forward
Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) moved into six place all-time in the NEC in career three-pointers last week.
With four in two Terrier wins, he passed CCSU’s Justin Chiera and has now recorded 275 trifectas in his career.
Perunicic leads all active NEC players in made three-pointers and is second in St. Francis history, 19 behind all-time Terrier great Angel Santana (1996-00).
Perunicic is shooting 42.0 percent from long range on the year, the fourth-best mark on the circuit.
He also ranks fourth with 2.5 three-pointers made per game.
NEC Career Leaders - Three-Pointers Made
1. Tristan Blackwood CCSU 328 2004-08
2. Joey Mundweiler Wagner 312 2004-09
3. Chris McGuthrie Mount St. Mary’s 300 1993-96
4. Angel Santana St. Francis (NY) 294 1996-00
5. James Williams LIU Brooklyn 277 2003-07
6. Stefan Perunicic St. Francis (NY) 275 2008-12
7. Justin Chiera CCSU 274 2002-06
8. Ryan Litke Sacred Heart 270 2006-10
Dedrick Dye Wagner 270 1999-03
10. Landy Thompson Mount St. Mary’s 267 2002-06
LIU Brooklyn, Wagner Ranked in Mid-Major Poll
LIU Brooklyn and Wagner were both ranked in the February 13th edition of the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll. The Blackbirds were voted 21st, with the Seahawks two spots behind in the 23rd slot. Wagner has been ranked eight straight weeks, while the Blackbirds have been in the top-25 the last four weeks. The NEC is one of only six conferences with multiple teams ranked.
NEC’s RPI Leaders
The NEC currently sports two teams ranked in the top-100 in the RPI. Wagner is 78th and LIU Brooklyn ranks 86th.
Best of the Best: NEC National Leaders
A host of NEC players rank among national leaders (top-20) in various statistical categories, including CCSU senior guard
Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point), who leads the country in free throw shooting at 93.2 percent.
Name Category # Rank
Robby Ptacek (CCSU) FT% .927 1st
Shane Gibson (SHU) Scoring 22.2 4th
Scott Eatherton (SFPA) FG% 627 5th
Jason Brickman (LIU) Assists 7.0 5th
Shane Gibson (SHU) 3PFG% .440 14th
Ike Azotam (QU) Double-Doubles 13 15th
Jamal Olasewere (LIU) FG% .574 18th
Team Category # Rank
Quinnipiac Rebounds 43.8 2nd
Quinnipiac Rebound Margin +10.5 2nd
LIU Brooklyn Home Court Win Streak 24 3rd
LIU Brooklyn Scoring 81.6 4th
Wagner Won-Loss Percentage .852 8th
Wagner Win Streak 8 10th
Wagner Turnover Margin +4.0 12th
Long Island Win Streak 7 14th
CCSU's Ptacek: Best Ever At The Line?
Central Connecticut State senior guard
Robby Ptacek's (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point) near perfection at the charity stripe is not a one-year phenomenon.
In fact, Ptacek has a chance to close out his career as the top-ranked free throw shooter in the history of the conference.
The Bay Shore, NY native has hit 88.8 percent of his attempts over the course of his career, including an NCAA-best 92.7 percent this season.
The only player in league annals with a higher percentage is former CCSU star Tristan Blackwood, who shot 89.1 percent from the line from 2004-08.
Leading Free Throw Shooters In NEC History (min. 200 makes)
Tristan Blackwood CCSU .891 237-266 2004-08
Robby Ptacek CCSU .888 380-428 2008-12
Mike Iuzzolino SFPA .879 350-398 1989-91
William Lewis MU .876 317-362 1998-92
Danny Basile MAR .871 298-342 1992-96
Terence Ward UMBC .863 309-358 1998-01
CCSU’s Horton Leads 20/30 Pack
In the "stellar games" category, no NEC player is even close to Central Connecticut senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining).
Horton has racked up 43 games of 20+ points over the course of his career, with his next closest competitor in the NEC being Sacred Heart’s
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) with 33.
He has tallied eight games of 30+ points, also a league-leading mark.
Most Games - 20+ Points (active players)
Ken Horton, CCSU 43
Shane Gibson, SHU 33
Robby Ptacek, CCSU 27
James Johnson, QU 17
Julian Boyd, LIU 14
Alex Francis, BRY 13
Tyler Murray, WC 12
Umar Shannon, SFPA 12
Velton Jones, RMU 11
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 10
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 9
Latif Rivers, WC 9
Ike Azotam, QU 8
Will Campbell, MU 8
Chris Martin, WC 8
Stefan Perunicic, SFNY 8
Melquan Bolding, FDU 6
Frankie Dobbs, BRY 6
Mike Myers-Keitt, MU 6
Julian Norfleet, MSM 6
Jesse Steele, MU 6
Scott Eatherton, SFPA 5
Akeem Johnson, SFNY 5
Ben Mockford, SFNY 5
Russell Johnson, RMU 4
Most Games - 30+ Points (active players)
Ken Horton, CCSU 8
Shane Gibson, SHU 5
Alex Francis, BRY 2
Velton Jones, RMU 2
Robby Ptacek, CCSU 2
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 2
Ike Azotam, QU 1
Melquan Bolding, FDU 1
Julian Boyd, LIU 1
James Johnson, QU 1
Chris Martin, WC 1
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 1
Latif Rivers, WC 1
Umar Shannon, SFPA 1
Did You Know?
Mount St. Mary's celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1962 NCAA College Division National Championship team on Saturday.
The squad was honored at halftime of the Monmouth game with head coach Jim Phelan and seven of the players in attendance.
High-Fives
- Bryant freshman forward
Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) matched a career-high with 14 points against Saint Francis (PA) on Saturday, just two days after swatting five shots - also matching a personal-best - versus Robert Morris.
- CCSU senior guard
Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) moved into 10
th place on the school’s all-time scoring list last week and now has 1,488 career points. He averaged 18.0 ppg last week.
- Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard
Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepanic (Duquesne)) has averaged 22.3 points over the last three games, including 23 against Wagner on Saturday.
- LIU Brooklyn junior guard
C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) established a new career-high with 25 points against Quinnipiac on Saturday.
- Monmouth junior guard
Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)) was tabbed
Choice Hotels NEC Co-Rookie of the Week after he averaged 16.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg, including a team-high 20 points in a 68-66 road win at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
In that game, he hit 6-7 shots from beyond the arc and for the week shot 7-8 (.875) from long range.
In NEC play, he is shooting a league-best 53.8 percent from downtown.
- Monmouth also received a boost from freshman guard
Andrew Nicholas (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York), who came off the bench to average 15.5 ppg and hit all 12 of his free throws in two wins.
He scored 19 points at the Mount on Saturday.
- When Mount St. Mary’s guards
Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) and
Kelvin Parker (York, PA/William Penn) hit five three-pointers apiece in a 77-63 win over FDU on Thursday, it was the first time that two Mount players had five or more threes in the same game since Eric Bethel and Tony Hayden each went 6-9 from beyond the arc in a 78-61 win over Monmouth on January 14, 1998.
- Quinnipiac freshman forward
Ousmane Drame (Boston, MA/New Mission (Marianapolis Prep)) continued his stellar play with 10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last week.
He scored a career-high 16 points and added 10 boards against LIU on Thursday.
Drame is sixth in the NEC with 7.4 rpg.
- Robert Morris junior forward
Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Monsignor Bonner) scored 28 points in 30 minutes of action last week as Robert Morris knocked off CCSU and Bryant.
He shot 71.4 percent from the floor and hit all eight of his free throws.
- Robert Morris junior guard
Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) set a new single-season school record for free throws made.
His 166 makes eclipsed the 151 by Gabe Jackson in 1994-95.
- Sacred Heart junior forward Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross (Holy Family)) matched his career-high with 23 points against LIU Brooklyn on Thursday.
- St. Francis (NY) junior forward Akeem Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance) has now shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of his last eight games, converting 63.8 percent (51-80) of his opportunities.
- Saint Francis (PA) freshman forward Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) averaged 13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and shot 56.3 percent from the floor last week. He posted the first double-double by a Red Flash freshman in two seasons with a 19-point, 10-rebound outing against CCSU on Thursday.
- Wagner junior forward Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (CC of San Francisco)) averaged 15.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg and shot 63.2 percent from the floor in wins over Monmouth and FDU.
Quotes of the Week
“We have two games left this season, and we have a chance to play spoiler next weekend.” – FDU head coach Greg Vetrone
“I think the biggest thing was probably experience. We went into overtime in the finals last year so we weren’t that rattled coming into overtime. We just knew that we needed to pick it up and play better than them in that five minute segment.” – LIU Brooklyn senior guard Michael Culpo after the Blackbirds outlasted Sacred Heart in overtime, 103-91.
“We have two more home games that I want to win so that we can go into the tournament at 10-8, but I am so proud of our kids because when I first got here I told them that if they stay together we can make the tournament. Now we have the opportunity and it is great for our kids, our parents, the students, the fans and our administration, and I’m just happy that I get to go for the ride.” – Monmouth head coach King Rice, after the Hawks qualified for the NEC Tournament with a 68-66 win at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday
“The kids were awesome. The kids did a great job tonight.
They came out, they competed, they were focused, they made shots.”
– Mount St. Mary’s acting head coach Matt Henry on his team’s 77-63 win over FDU in his first game at the helm of the program
"We're going back to old Robert Morris basketball. Old Robert Morris basketball used to go up and pressure people. In the middle of the year we got away from that.” – Robert Morris junior guard Velton Jones following the Colonials’ 69-40 win over Bryant last Thursday
“Before the season began, I thought we had the talent to accomplish some things. I didn’t know about any specific number, but I’m proud of what we’ve done so far.” – Wagner senior guard Chris Martin, after beating FDU in a game in which he scored his 1,000
th career point on Saturday
NEC By the Numbers
3 games of 100+ points for LIU Brooklyn this season.
The Blackbirds are the first to accomplish this since FDU and St. Francis (NY) both hit the century mark on three occasions in 2001-02.
7 straight overtime games lost by Sacred Heart dating back to the 2008.
The Pioneers have also lost 11 straight games to NEC opponents that have gone past regulation.
10 games over the last five seasons in which the Colonials have held an opponent to 45 points or less.
13 double-doubles, a league-leading figure, this season for Quinnipiac sophomore forward
Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)).
+13 rebound margin for Saint Francis (PA) against Bryant on Saturday was the largest for the Red Flash this season.
14 three-pointers apiece for Monmouth (against Mount St. Mary’s) and LIU Brooklyn (against Quinnipiac) in their respective wins on Saturday.
The Hawks made 14 in 25 attempts, while the Blackbirds needed 26 attempts.
14 different starting linups used by Fairleigh Dickinson this season.
G
raduate student forward George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South (Louisville)) is the only Knight to start all 27 games.
17.6 turnovers forced per game by St. Francis (NY) over its last five outings.
20 20-win seasons all-time for LIU Brooklyn.
23 wins against just one defeat for Wagner when leading with five minutes to play.
36 wins for Wagner head coach Dan Hurley in his first two seasons in Staten Island.
42 points in the paint - a season-high - for Robert Morris in its 69-40 win over Bryant on Thursday.
66 three-pointers this season for CCSU guard
Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School), matching the Blue Devil freshman record set by Joe Seymore in 2006-07.
81 three-pointers for Sacred Heart junior guard
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly), which ranks him fourth on the school’s single-season list and 10 behind record holder John Randazzo, who hit 91 in 1998-99.
202 total points in consecutive games last week for LIU, the highest total in back-to-back NEC outings since St. Francis (NY) scored 142 against LIU and 110 versus Sacred Heart on February 22 and 27, 2003.
250 career wins for LIU Brooklyn head coach
Jim Ferry.
500 wins for Robert Morris at the Division I level following a 68-60 triumph over CCSU on Saturday.
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Bryant (2-26, 1-15 NEC, RPI: 339)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at Robert Morris L, 69-40; Feb. 18 at Saint Francis (PA) L, 76-61
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. Wagner; Feb. 25 vs. Mount St. Mary’s
• Sophomore Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) led the Bulldogs, averaging 13.5 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per contest on the 0-2 week. Francis shot 75 percent from the floor (9-12) and 75 percent from beyond the arc (3-4) while going 6-of-10 from the free throw line.
• Rookie Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) was impressive on the block in the two-game set, putting up seven swats and tying his career mark with five Thursday night against Robert Morris. The frosh also averaged eight points per game on the week while pulling in seven boards to compliment a 45.5 percent shooting mark.
• Junior point guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward) averaged 11 points per game and dished out nine assists with five steals on the week while averaging 35 minutes per outing.
• The Bulldogs return home for their final two contests of the 2011-12 season and will host Wagner Thursday (7 p.m.) and Mount St. Mary’s Saturday (1 p.m.) in the season finale.
Central Connecticut (11-15, 8-8 NEC, RPI: 249)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at Saint Francis (PA) W, 65-60; Feb. 18 at Robert Morris L, 68-60
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. Mount St. Mary’s; Feb. 25 vs. Wagner
• The Blue Devils qualified for their 14th straight Northeast Conference Tournament with a 1-1 week on the road last week. They are now 8-8 in league play, and extend their conference-best streak to 14 straight seasons in which they have qualified for the league playoffs. Central will play its first NEC game on the road against an opponent to be determined.
• Senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) moved to 10th place all-time on the CCSU career scoring list by posting 36 points last week, averaging 18 ppg in a 1-1 week. Ptacek now has 1,488 career points, moving past Kevin Hightower on the all-time list.
• Freshman guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) had another spectacular week for the Blue Devils, averaging 21.5 points, while hitting 9-of-17 from three in a 1-1 week for the Blue Devils. The highlight of the week was a 32 point effort in a loss at Robert Morris. Vinales hit a career-high eight threes in the game, the fourth-highest single game total in school history. It was the most threes in a game for a Blue Devil since Tristan Blackwood hit 10 in a win over Robert Morris in 2007. Vinales scored 29 of his 32 points in the second half, and nearly brought the Blue Devils back from an 18 point deficit in the final four minutes. He scored 16 of his points in the final four minutes. Vinales was 10-of-22 from the field and 8-of-14 from three. He made his final five threes. On Thursday night, in a 65-60 win at St. Francis (PA), he scored 11 points and had three assists and two steals in 38 minutes. Vinales averaged 38.5 minutes per game on the week, and increased his scoring average to a team-best 18.1 points per game. His 66 threes match the freshman record of 67 set by Joe Seymore in 2006-07.
Fairleigh Dickinson (2-25, 1-15 NEC, RPI: 336)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at Mount St. Mary’s L, 77-63; Feb. 18 at Wagner L, 90-70
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. LIU Brooklyn; Feb. 25 vs. St. Francis (NY)
• Junior Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac) led the Knights with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting in the loss at Mount St. Mary’s. Graduate student George Goode added 13 points, while sophomore Ayotundye Oyeniyi (Lagos, Nigeria/The Rock School (FL)) played the best game of his career as he scored a career-high 12 points, tied his career high in field goals made with three (on four attempts), swished a career-best six free throws (on eight attempts), tied his career high in rebounds with eight and blocked two shots.
• Bolding led the Knights with 23 points (21 after halftime) on 7-of-18 shooting and dished out a season-high six assists in the loss at Wagner. He also made all eight of his free throw attempts. Junior Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison) added a career-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds. Goode scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, while senior Briahn Smith (Detroit, MI/Madison) chipped in 10 points.
• The Knights shot a collective 59.3 percent (32-of-54) in the second half in the losses at Mount St. Mary’s and Wagner. FDU shot 58.3 percent (14-of-24) against the Mount and 60 percent (18-of-30) at Wagner. The only other time the Knights shot over 60 percent in the second half was in their win over Saint Peter’s when they shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) back on Nov. 18. FDU has shot at least 50 percent in the second half in six contests this season.
• Goode is averaging 15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game over his last 15 games, while shooting 54.5 percent (91-of-167) from the field. He has scored in double-figures in 14 of those contests including the last eight. Goode is averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 53.4 percent from the floor in NEC play.
• Bolding is averaging 17.0 points per game over his last six contests and 22.3 points per game over his last three games (24 at Monmouth, 20 at the Mount, 23 at Wagner). The 24 points at Monmouth were the most he has scored in NEC play this season. Bolding is also shootng 84.6 percent (22-of-26) from the free throw line over his last six games and has made his last 21 from the charity stripe.
• Smith is averaging 10.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over his last 10 and is shooting 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the free throw line. He has scored in double-figures in 8 of his last 10 contests.
LIU Brooklyn (21-7, 15-1 NEC, RPI: 86)
Last Week: Feb. 16 vs. Sacred Heart W, 103-91 (OT); Feb. 18 vs. Quinnipiac W, 99-89
This Week: Feb. 23 at Fairleigh Dickinson; Feb. 25 at Monmouth
• LIU Brooklyn continued to roll with two more victories to stretch its winning streak to seven games. The Blackbirds have won 16 out of their last 17 contests. LIU went to overtime for the first time this season in a streaky game with Sacred Heart on Feb. 16. The Blackbirds scored the first 10 points of the extra period en route to outscoring the Pioneers 22-10 in overtime for a 103-91 win. LIU downed Quinnipiac by a 99-89 margin on Feb. 18.
• Dating back to last season LIU Brooklyn has won 24 consecutive home games. That streak is the third-longest active one in the country behind Kentucky (50 games) and Harvard (27).
• LIU is first in the nation in free throws made (20.7 per game) and second in trips to the foul line (28.2 per game). The Blackbirds have made 579 free throws, 155 more than the number of times their opponents have attempted a free throw (424).
• The Blackbirds average a conference-best 81.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the country. LIU is fifth in the nation in points per shot at 1.43.
• The win over Quinnipiac was the 250th in head coach Jim Ferry’s career.
• Sophomore Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) set a career high with 16 assists against Quinnipiac, adding 10 points for his third double-double of the season. Brickman, who committed just three turnovers and snared a pair of rebounds, came up one helper shy of Antwan Dobie’s LIU record of 17 assists, set on Dec. 15, 2002. Brickman’s 16 assists tied for both the NCAA single-game high this season and fourth-highest single-game total in Northeast Conference history. The 5-foot-10 point guard’s dime-dishing outburst came on the heels of a nine-assist, nine-point performance against Sacred Heart. Brickman also tallied four rebounds and a steal against the Pioneers. For the week, Brickman averaged 12.5 assists and 9.5 points per game with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.00. He is ranked fifth in the nation with an average of 7.0 assists per game.
• LIU’s 103-91 overtime victory over Sacred Heart marked the third time this season that the Blackbirds have reached triple digits. LIU also broke the 100-point barrier in wins against Monmouth (106-86) and Texas State (100-84). The last time the Blackbirds had more than two 100-point games was during the 1997-98 season, when they did it 10 times.
-Junior guard C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) set a new career high with 25 points against Quinnipiac. Garner also established new career marks for field goals (nine), three-pointers (three) and three-point attempts (four). His previous career high for points was 21, set against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 4, 2010.
• Junior Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) tallied his 12th double-double of the season against Quinnipiac with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Classmate Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 boards against Sacred Heart.
• College Insider named Boyd a finalist for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award on Feb. 17. The winner will be announced at the Final Four on March 30.
• The Blackbirds’ victory over Sacred Heart was their 20th of the season, giving LIU its second consecutive 20-win season. The Blackbirds have won 20 games or more 20 times.
Monmouth (10-19, 8-8 NEC, RPI: 259)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at Wagner L, 74-67; Feb. 18 at Mount St. Mary’s W, 68-66
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. St. Francis (NY); Feb. 25 Vs. LIU Brooklyn
• At 8-8 in the NEC, the Hawks have earned eight wins in league for just the second time in the last six years.
• The Hawks finished the season 4-5 on the road in league games.
• Against Wagner, Monmouth had five players score in double-figures for just the second time this season.
• Monmouth’s win in Knott Arena against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday night was the Hawks’ first victory there in over five years. The last win came on February 17, 2007. MU’s last two games at the Mount have been decided by two points each, with the ball in Julian Norfleet’s hands to end both.
• King Rice’s 10 wins is the second most by a first year head coach at Monmouth, only second to Wayne Szoke’s 16 victories in 1987-88.
• The Hawks hit a season-high 14 three-pointers in the win over Mount St. Mary’s. The Hawks had hit 11 treys in a game three other times this year.
• Andrew Nicholas (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York), who hit 12-of-12 free throw attempts in the two games this weekend, added 15.5 points per game in the two contests, off the bench. Nicholas, who hit three three-pointers at Mount, added five rebounds and four assists. Nicholas tallied 12 points at Wagner and then 19 points at the Mount. His 8-for-8 FT night at MSM was the best performance for a Hawk this season.
Mount St. Mary's (7-20, 5-11 NEC, RPI: 287)
Last Week: Feb. 16 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson W, 77-63; Feb. 18 vs. Monmouth L, 68-66
This Week: Feb. 23 at Central Connecticut; Feb. 25 at Bryant
• Mount St. Mary’s trails eighth-place Sacred Heart by two games with two game left to play. The Mount can qualify for the NEC Tournament with wins over CCSU and Bryant coupled with two Sacred Heart losses. The Mount has played in the NEC Tournament in each of the past six seasons.
• Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) had 21 points in the loss to Monmouth, his fifth 20-point game of the year and sixth of his career. Norfleet averaged 19.0 points on the week, hitting 9-of-22 (.409) from three-point range.
• Norfleet and Kelvin Parker (York, PA/William Penn) each had five three-point field goals in the win over FDU. It was the first time that two Mount players had five or more threes in the same game since Eric Bethel and Tony Hayden each went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc in a 78-61 win over Monmouth on Jan. 14, 1998.
• Acting head coach Matt Henry was the first Mount coach to win his coaching debut since 1954. Jim Phelan, who went on to win 830 games in 49 seasons at the Mount, posted a 99-84 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) in his coaching debut on Dec. 4, 1954. Milan Brown and Robert Burke each lost their debuts on the Mount bench.
• Mount St. Mary’s celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1962 NCAA College Division National Championship team this season. The squad was honored at halftime of the Monmouth game with head coach Jim Phelan and seven of the players were in attendance.
Quinnipiac (15-12, 8-8 NEC, RPI: 182)
Last Week: Feb. 16 vs. St. Francis (NY) L, 64-56; Feb. 18 at LIU Brooklyn L, 99-89
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. Saint Francis (Pa); Feb. 25 vs. Robert Morris
• Quinnipiac saw its four-game winning streak snapped this past week, as the Bobcats fell to St. Francis (N.Y.), 64-56, on Thursday night before falling to LIU Brooklyn, 99-89, on Saturday evening.
• Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) paced the Bobcats’ offense, as the sophomore forward powered his way to a two-game average of 17 points and 9.5 rebounds. This included a 12 point, 15 rebound effort against the Terriers, accounting for his 13th double-double of the season, 15th of his career. Fellow front court mate, Ousmane Drame (Boston, MA/New Mission (Marianapolis Prep)), also fared well on the week. He averaged 10.5 points and nine rebounds, which included a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds against LIU Brooklyn.
• Against the Terriers, turnovers really plagued the Bobcats on the night, a major factor in the loss. QU coughed up the ball 20 times in the game, easily setting a new season-high for the category. In addition, the nation’s best offensive rebounding team was held to just seven second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds. QU edged SFC on the glass by one, nine below its rebounding margin average.
• Later in the week against the Blackbirds, Freshmen Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) and Drame each cashed in with career-high point totals, but the Bobcats were defeated by the NEC’s top-ranked team in LIU Brooklyn, 99-89, at the Wellness Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Azotam poured in 22 points, Hearst had 19 points and eight rebounds and Drame posted his fourth career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• Quinnipiac plays host to the two Pennsylvania teams this week. On Thursday night, the Bobcats welcome Saint Francis (Pa.) to the TD Bank Sports Center, followed by a Saturday morning affair with the Colonials of Robert Morris. ESPNU will broadcast the 11 a.m. showdown.
Robert Morris (21-8, 12-4 NEC, RPI: 123)
Last Week: Feb. 16 vs. Bryant W, 69-40; Feb. 18 vs. Central Connecticut W, 68-60
This Week: Feb. 23 at Sacred Heart; Feb. 25 at Quinnipiac
• Robert Morris concluded a three-game homestand by extending its winning streak to a season-high five games with victories over Bryant (2/16/12), 69-40, and Central Connecticut State (2/18/12), 68-60, at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
• The two victories helped the Colonials reach the 20-win plateau for the fourth time in the last five seasons and seventh time overall … RMU owns a record of 112-53 (.679) since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, a school and league record for a five-year span.
• Thanks to RMU’s win over Central Connecticut State, the Colonials notched program victory No. 500 … In 36 years as a Division I program, Robert Morris owns an overall record of 500-537 (.482), including marks of 295-237 (.555) against Northeast Conference foes and 233-122 (.656) in home contests at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
• Junior forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Monsignor Bonner) led Robert Morris last week, averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line … Thompson led the Colonials with 15 points off the bench in their win over Central Connecticut State while supplying 13 points and seven boards against Bryant.
• Robert Morris dominated in the paint in its two victories last week, averaging 40 points down low … The Colonials finished with a season-high 42 points in the paint in their win over the Bulldogs and over their last seven games is averaging 34.9 points down low … RMU is 48-12 (.800) over the last five seasons when scoring at least 30 points in the paint.
• Redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 assists in RMU’s two games last week, shooting 88.2 percent (15-for-17) at the charity stripe … Jones led RMU with a game-high 19 points in the victory over Bryant.
• Thanks to his 15 free throws last week, Jones pushed his season total to 166, establishing a new Robert Morris single-season record … Jones broke the old record of 151 that was held by former Colonial Gabe Jackson (1992-95) during the 1994-95 campaign
• Jones enters the final week of the 2011-12 regular season owning 356 career free throws, which ranks second all-time at RMU and is just 31 shy of establishing a new career record … Robert Morris all-time leading scorer Myron Walker (1990-94) currently owns the career record for free throws with 386 … Jones owns the RMU career record for free-throw attempts with 509, breaking Walker’s mark of 494.
• Freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) missed RMU’s two victories last week due to a knee injury suffered in practice earlier in the week.
• RMU’s 69-40 win over Bryant marked the 10th time over the last five seasons the Colonials have held an opponent to 45 points or less … Robert Morris shot 54.3 percent (25-for-46) from the field in its victory over Central Connecticut State, its 26th consecutive victory when shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
• Sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, DC/Charis Prep) finished with eight assists and five steals in RMU’s two wins last week … Over the last 11 games for Robert Morris, a stretch in which the Colonials are 9-2 (.818), Myers owns 45 assists against just 15 turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.00.
• Robert Morris concludes the 2011-12 regular season with a pair of road games, visiting Sacred Heart Thursday, Feb. 23, before traveling to Quinnipiac Saturday, Feb. 25
Sacred Heart (13-16, 7-9 NEC, RPI: 231)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at LIU Brooklyn L, 103-91 (OT); Feb. 18 at St. Francis (NY) L, 58-56
This Week: Feb. 23 vs. Robert Morris; Feb. 25 vs. Saint Francis (PA)
• Junior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) has been named a finalist for the 2012 Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. Gibson is one of 25 finalists that also include LIU Brooklyn’s Julian Boyd for the award presented by College Insider.
• The Pioneers lost their third NEC game in overtime this season on Thursday night at LIU Brooklyn, 103-91. SHU has lost seven-straight overtime games dating back to 2008. Their last overtime win came at Columbia (84-79). The Pioneers have lost 11-straight overtime decisions to NEC opponents. You have to go back to a 133-130 four overtime win at home over Fairleigh Dickinson on December 1, 2001 for the only SHU overtime win over an NEC school. SHU is 1-12 since joining the league in overtime conference games.
• The Pioneers had a three-game streak of shooting 50.0% or better as a team. SHU hit 52.9% (37-70) as team on Thursday night. During NEC Rivalry Week, the Pioneers shot a season-high 60.4% (29-48) in winning game one and came back to make 56.8% (25-44) on Saturday, marking their two top shooting performances this season. SHU is 5-5 this season in games when they shot 50.0% or better.
• Gibson continues to lead in the NEC scoring race, averaging 22.2 ppg. That figure also ranks him fourth among the nation’s leaders.
• Junior Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) matched his career-high of 23 points on Thursday night at LIU Brooklyn. Swidowski had 23 in the first meeting at home with the Blackbirds back in January. On Saturday however, the junior center suffered early foul trouble and was held scoreless for the second time this season
• Sophomore guard Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) played a career-high 43 minutes at LIU Brooklyn and finished with 15 points and a career-high eight rebounds. He also was held scoreless in the loss to St. Francis (NY)
• Gibson recorded his second career double double and his second htis season with 21 points and a career-best 12 rebounds against the Terriers.
St. Francis (NY) (15-12, 12-4 NEC, RPI: 189)
Last Week: Feb. 16 at Quinnipiac W, 64-56; Feb. 18 vs. Sacred Heart W, 58-56
This Week: Feb. 23 at Monmouth; Feb. 25 at Fairleigh Dickinson
• St. Francis (NY) defeated Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart last week to secure a home contest in the Northeast Conference quarterfinals on Thursday, March 1. It will be the first playoff game at the Pope Physical Education Center since 1997.
• The Terriers, picked for 11th-place in the NEC pre-season poll have picked up 12 conference victories, the most since the 2003-2004 campaign when they finished 12-6.
• St. Francis, who has won 11 of their last 14 contests, opened up the week with a 64-56 victory at Quinnipiac to sweep the season-series from the Bobcats, the first time they have done so since the 2001-2002 season.
• Freshman power forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Alllen) grabbed an NEC single-game high 19 rebounds and added 13 points for his seventh double-double of the season at Quinnipiac. Sophomore guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) (11 points, 5 assists, 4 steals), junior Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance) (10 points), and junior Akeem Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Susan S. McKinney) (10 points) were also in double-figures.
• Nichols scored on a put-back with 1.6 seconds remaining to give the Terriers a thrilling 58-56 victory against Sacred Heart in a MSG primetime telecast on Saturday night. Johnson paced the Terriers with 16 points and added nine rebounds and senior Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia / Dimitrije Tucovic High School) (11 points) and Jones (10 points, 6 assists) were also in double-figures. Cannon added a team-high 10 rebounds.
• With the game knotted at 56-56, Jones drove down the lane and missed a floating layup but Nichols got inside position and corralled the rebound and laid in the winning hoop. Sacred Heart got off a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer but it was off the mark.
• Cannon’s 19-rebound total was the second-most by a freshman in the country this season (Tony Mitchell, North Texas, 21) and tied for the 20th best total overall. It was also the most by an NEC freshman in 11 years.
• Perunicic has moved into 16th-place on the Terriers all-time scoring list with 1,144 points and has now hit 275 career treys. He is 20 shy of the school record with at least three games to play.
• Senior guard Justin Newton (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep Country Day School) is now 8th on the Terriers all-time assists list with 290 helpers. He needs just one two steals to move into the top-ten in career thefts.
• The Terriers have forced an average of 17.6 turnovers per game over their last five outings and have won the statistical battle in five straight contests.
• St. Francis will close the regular-season with road tilts at Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.
Saint Francis (PA) (6-21, 5-11 NEC, RPI: 314)
Last Week: Feb 16 vs. Central Connecticut L, 65-60; Feb. 18 vs. Bryant W, 76-61
This Week: Feb. 23 at Quinnipiac; Feb. 25 at Sacred Heart
• After the Red Flash bench failed to record a point in Thursday’s game, the SFU reserves tailed 20 points in the first half. For the game SFU got 24 points from its bench.
• After going 0-for-7 from the field in Thursday’s contest Ollie Jackson (Dallas, TX/Pinkston) connected on his first three shot attempts (all 3-pointers) and tallied 10 first-half points.
• The win Saturday was the first for the Flash in which Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) did not score in double-figures.
• SFU out rebounded the Bulldogs 37-24. The +13 rebound margin is the largest for the Flash this season and it was the first time they were +10 or better in the rebounding margin since Dec. 3, 2011 against FDU.
• All nine players who were dressed Saturday saw action and all tailed at least two points. SFU was without Matthew Mazzara (State College, PA/State College Area), who missed the game with a hand injury.
• The Red Flash saw five players score in double-figures Saturday for the just the second time this season. The only other time SFU had five players in double-digits was the home opener against Lafayette.
• Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), coming off season-highs in points and rebounds Thursday, stuffed the stat sheet Saturday with seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks off the bench.
• Kameron Ritter (Niskayuna, NY/Christian Boys Academy) posted his second highest scoring total of the season Saturday, on 5-of-8 shooting, while also picking up four rebounds and passing out two assists.
• Brown became the first Red Flash freshman to record a double-double since Will Felder (Cleveland, OH/Lutheran East) pulled off the feat back on Feb. 27, 2010.
• Brown’s double-double Thursday was the first for SFU in a home game this season and the first by a player other than Eatherton.
Wagner (23-4, 14-2 NEC, RPI: 78)
Last Week: Feb. 16 vs. Monmouth W, 74-67; Feb. 18 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson W, 90-70
This Week: Feb. 23 at Bryant; Feb. 25 at Central Connecticut
• Wagner improved to 23-4 and 14-2 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) with a 74-67 win over Monmouth (2/16) and a 90-70 victory vs. FDU (2/18). In both games, the Seahawks had five double-figure scorers and have now done so on four occasions this season.
• The 23 victories match the school-record set by the 2007-2008 squad while also setting a regular season record. Additionally the 14-2 league start matches the 2002-2003 NEC Championship squad for the school’s best conference start.
• The Green & White continue to lead all Metropolitan teams with 23
• Wagner is a remarkable 23-1 when leading with five minutes to play and 17-1 when notching at least 70 points.
• The Seahawks are also 6-0 during February and 9-0 when playing before a Time Warner audience.
• The Green & White locked up the #2 seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament, but could earn the #1 spot by winning its remaining two games while hoping LIU Brooklyn loses its last two.
• Prior to the 90-70 win over the Knights, Wagner honored seniors Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Apex Academies), Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) and Ryan Schrotenboer (Fort Myers, FL/Bishop Verot) as well as team manager Tyrik Miller.
• The Seahawks have won eight-straight games, which is the second such streak this season after going 32 years without winning eight in a row even once.
• Wagner wore pink Under Armour shoes to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
• The Seahawks have also now notched a NEC-leading 15 double-digit victories, including 11 in league play.
• Junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (CC of San Francisco)) notched 20 points against FDU en route to averaging a team-best 15.5 points per game and has now recorded at least 20 points in a game on three occasions.
• Martin scored all 13 of his points against the Knights in the second half and is now the 39th member of the Wagner 1,000-point club.
• In the win over the Hawks, Murray led the way with an even 20 points, highlighted by 5-for-10 shooting from long range. He has now hit for at least 20 points three times this season and 12 times over the last two years.
• Murray now ranks 23rd in the all-time Green & White annals with 1,179 points and has combined with Martin to score 2,179 points. The duo also has sank a combined 376 three pointers.
• Dan Hurley and the coaching staff wore ribbons honoring the memory of Ronald (RJ) Tillman, a graduate student in the PA Program, who was tragically killed in a vicious hit-and-run accident. More than $450 dollars was also raised for the RJ Tillman Scholarship Fund. Contributions to the fund may be sent to: RJ Tillman Memorial Scholarship; c/o Myra Garcia, VP of Institutional Advancement; 1 Campus Road; Staten Island NY 10301.
• Wagner checked in at 23rd in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll and has has now been ranked in each of the last eight polls.
• According to the NCAA rankings released on February 17th Murray ranked first in three-point percentage and leads the NEC at 51.2 percent.
• Dan Hurley is 36-21 in this his second year on Grymes Hill and is the second-fastest coach in school history to reach 30 wins.